Traction-wheel.



"5. A. RUMELY. l

TRACTION WHEEL.

AXTPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 28,1912.

1 104,934. Patented July 28,1914,

Tfr oFFIoE.

EDWARD 'ALoYsIUs laclantis?, or Laronfrn, INDIANA, AssIGNon To MQnuMELYf-f COMPANY, 0F. LAPORTE, INDIANA, A oonronrrrrolv or INDIANA."

TRACTION-WHEEL.

tion-Wheels, of which the following is a specication.

My invention. relates to tract-ion wheels,

1n connection with road or field engines, and the like, and it belongs to that class ofwheels wherein a series of separated tread sections are so disposed about the periphery of the wheel-as to carry the load and at the same time present to the surface of the ground as zey the wheel rota-tes, surfaces which are inclined'to their respective radii.

One object of my invention is' to provide means whereby the grip or hold of the wheel upon the ground may be strengthened, and another is to provide means whereby the wheel may be better adapted to travel on both soft and hard surfaces.

y invention is illustrated in one form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of the wheel showing various forms of the tread sections; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. is across section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aside elevation of a modified form' of wheel; Fig. 5 is across section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Like parts are indicated by like letters in all the gures.

A. is the hub, B, B the spokes and C the rim of the wheel, the whole shaped in any desired form.

D is a continuous outer tread, wedge shaped in cross section, and having a relatively narrow exterior tread surface.

l E, E are inner tread sections preferably integral with, or firmly attached to the rim, and the outer tread sections. They are preferably shaped so as to present an outer depressed surface, and the preferred form 1s that of a concave surface such'as is illustrated at F, with or without the edge G. There maybe two or more continuous treads, and a convenient arrangement is that wherein there are three, the two outer treads H, H, and the middle'tread D, having between them the series of tread portions which make up the inner discontinuous tread or treads.

specification of'teners raient'. Patented 2B, 19121; Application led September 28, 1&12. 'Sera1No.72-2,822. .Y i i particularly such as are adapted, to be usedA It will be understood that 'the drawing l to lbe taken more-or less diagra-mmatically,l and is intended not so mnchft-opresent a working drawing as topresent an illustrai tive drawing to accompany the'idescriptioni l do not wish to be confinedto the size,1p1oportion or precise arrangement, Vorfshape'or shapes of the several parts l 'f The use and operation of kmy invention -are as follows: ln its preferred' form, or what now appears to me to be the preferred-"form,- there are two or more inner treads, e'achcon-Y sisting of a series of tread' portions.- The members of each series are somewhat lwidely separated and not overlapped, but the series are arranged so that there will be'k about the periphery'of the wheel an unbroken succession of such tread series sothat the wheel will always have a bearing on. the ground. Each tread portion is, broadly speaking, de-

that it tends to hold .or grip` theearthimme'- diatelyunder it, and thus it will sustain the load and aid the tract-ion wheel in performing its function. The'arrangement is such that the material will pass between the sections and forwardly toward the huh of the wheel to make it asel .f-cleaning wheel. This action is further aided by the inclined surface of that portion o' the rim which forms the approximately continuous tread. In the Apressed or concave on its working face, so

preferred form, the several treadportions or surfaces of any given series are quite widely separated, as shown, to permit the earthy materials to pass inwardly toward the hub. One or more portions of the-rim projects beyond the outer extremities of these tread sections, and such rim may be of any desired width, but preferably quite narrow. This rim is preferably provided with its sides inclinedas indicated in cross section so as to 'cause it to aid in the selfcleaning action. Since the rim projects beyond the tread portions, it-becomes itself a tread portion when traveling on hard ground, and may even under some circumstances be the only acting tread. It is preferably so narrow that on soft .ground it sinks in and performs a relatively small amount of the service of sustaining the load. Thus my wheel is provided with two tread surfaces, one an approximately continuous outer surface effective on hard y ground or highways, the other aseries of discontinuous inner treads effective on soft ground and protected on hard ground by the continuous tread which then carries the load. From one point of view, the important feature'of my invention is thus the combination of approximately continuous treads for effective Work on hard ground and discontinuous' treads for effective work on soft ground, or

more broadly, the combination of two kindsy of treads, one operative only when the tractor is on hard ground, and the other one operative only when the tractor is on soft ground. To make a self-cleaning wheel, it is highly important that 'the discontinuous widely extended sepa-rated surfaces inclined to the tangent' to the continuous tread all of them being inclined in the same direction a free passage between said surfaces inwardly along the continuous tread rim said widely extended tread surfaces being convex.

2A traction wheel provided with an outer continuous tread rim an inner tread located intermediate the tread portion of said tread 'widely extended separated surfaces inclined to the tangent to the continuous tread all of them being inclined in the same direction a v free passage between said surfaces inwardlyT along the continuous tread rim said Widely extended tread surfaces .being convex and provided with retaining walls along one side thereof. I

A traction wheel provided with an outer continuous tread rim an inner tread located intermediate the tread lportion'on said tread rim and centerportion of the wheel and to one side of saidrirn made of a plurality of widely extended separated surfaces inclined to the tangent to the continuons tread all of them being inclined in the samedirection a free passage between said surfaces inwardly along the continuous tread rim said widely extended tread surfaces being convex and' provided with retaining walls along one side thereof and an auxiliary outer continuous tread rim along the opposed side of said widely extended surfaces n 'In testimony whereof, Iai`x my Vsignature in the presence of two Witnesses this 12th day of September, 1912.

EDWARD ALOYSIUS RUMELY.

Witnesses:

MINNIE M. LINDENAN, I

GENEVA HIRTH. 

